Monthly Archives: June 2013

Thank You Republican/Tea Party types for making my point as to why DOMA and Prop 8 were unconstitutional; if your opposition to same-sex marriage and banning it by law is based on your religious values then those laws are clearly unconstitutional under the separation of Church and State provisions of the First Amendment.

Bill Armistead, Chairman of the Republican Party in Alabama

“I am disappointed to learn that SCOTUS has struck down DOMA and will now require that federal benefits be extended to homosexual couples. This is an affront to the Christian principles that this nation was founded on. The federal government is hijacking marriage, a uniquely religious institution, and they must be stopped. This is a nation founded on Christian values and the Bible is very clear on marriage – one man and one woman. Alabama’s state law banning gay marriage will prevent these benefits from being extended in Alabama, but our tax dollars will still go to support a lifestyle that we fundamentally disagree with.”

Of course any student of the Bible knows that Armistead’s views on marriage being between “one man and one woman” are not even close to true. In Genesis chapter 16 we read that Sarai gives her hand maid Hagar to Abram as his wife; Sarai was Abram’s first wife and by giving him Hagar she created a plural marriage.

In Genesis 25 we learn that Abram – now Abraham – takes another wife, this one’s name is Keturah. Let’s see, so far that makes three wives in this plurality.

In Genesis 30 Jacob marries Bilhah and Zilpah after already being married to Leah and Rachel. Seems like the Biblical definition of marriage being between “one man and one woman” isn’t quite so clear, now is it? Perhaps Mr. Armistead should pay a little more attention in Sunday school.

In Deuteronomy 21 the inheritance rights of children born into a plural marriage are established.

In Samuel 2 we read how David took his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail with him when he went to Hebron.

In 1 Kings 11 we learn that Solomon had 700 wives – 700!

In 2 Chronicles 13 we can read how Abijah had fourteen wives.

FOX Huckster Mike Huckabee

“My thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling that determined that same sex marriage is okay: “Jesus wept.”

And this would be? Jesus wept because the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Constitution? Of course He did Mike, of course He did; whatever. If Jesus is weeping it’s more likely because of the hate being spewed in His name by so-called Christians like yourself, and less likely based upon the Court’s decision to allow people freedom of choice in whom they will marry.

Congresswoman Michelle Bachman

“This decision is one that is profound because the Supreme Court not only attacked our Constitution today, they not only attacked the equal protection rights of every citizen under our Constitution, they attacked something that they have no jurisdiction over whatsoever, the foundational unit of our society, which is marriage.

“That is something that God created. That is something that God will define. The Supreme Court, though they may think so, have not risen to the level of God.”

How did the Court attack the Constitution? Was it by upholding it?

Marriage, by-the-way Congresswoman, IS regulated by the state, and hence the Court certainly DOES have jurisdiction over it.

And, since laws in this nation aren’t supposed to founded on the religious whims of fanatics like the soon to be retired Bachman, pointing out that her views of the legality of DOMA and Prop 8 are strictly religious in nature she helps make both mine and the Court’s point.

Senator Rand Paul

“If you change one variable — man and a woman to man and man, and woman and woman — you cannot then tell me that, you can’t logically tell me you can’t change the other variable — one man, three women. Uh, one woman, four men…. If I’m a devout Muslim and I come over here and I have three wives, who are you to say if I’m an American citizen, that I can’t have multiple marriages? I think this is the conundrum and gets back to what you were saying in the opening — whether or not churches should decide this. But it is difficult because if we have no laws on this people take it to one extension further. Does it have to be humans?”

Attacking the rulings from the point of view that it might lead to polygamy, and of course the inevitable far-right white bread Christian leap that it will lead to people marrying animals, which is such a leap it doesn’t deserve to be answered. But of course he couldn’t resist the dig at Islam, throwing out the fear card that this will lead to a Muslim state of polygamous Shariah law. His fear of course is that the First Amendment would, and in all reality should, protect the right of the Islamic belief of plural marriage, being a religious tenant. Funny how religion in America to these types only extends to their own narrow views of Christianity.

Anyone who paid any attention at all during the 2012 Presidential campaign knows President Obama said, “The private sector is doing fine,” which was immediately jumped on by his erstwhile opponent Republican Tea Party (GOTP) 2012 presidential footnote, Willard Mitt Romney, who replied, “I think he’s really defining what it means to be out of touch with reality.”

Now of course we know what happened in November, Romney had his political head handed to him on a plate, and the GOTP lost seats in both the House and the Senate, and conservatives still continue to claim the economy is failing. Some people either don’t get it, or won’t get it.

Clearly the economy is in recovery and the following indicators (reported since 15 May 2013) show the private sector is indeed “doing fine”, and all the info – by-the-way – comes from FOX Business:

The Conference Board’s gauge of U.S. consumer confidence rose to 76.2 in May from 69 in April, topping economists’ estimates of 71 and marking the highest reading since February 2008.

Consumer Sentiment:

A reading on consumer sentiment from Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan came in at 84.5 in late May, up from 83.7 earlier in the month, and besting economists’ expectations that it would hold steady. The gauge is now at its highest level since July 2007.

Economy Expanding:

The Federal Reserve said (5 June 13) in its anecdotal Beige Book report that it sees hiring increasing at a ‘measured pace’ across its dozen districts, with some reporting slight increases in wage pressure. Overall, the central bank said the economy is continuing to expand at a ‘modest to moderate’ speed.

Index of U.S. Non-manufacturing Activity:

The Institute for Supply Management’s gauge of service-sector activity ticked up to 53.7 in May from 53.1 in April, besting estimates of 53.5, and suggesting the sector is still growing. Readings above 50 point to expansion, while those below point to contraction.

Job Layoffs:

Employers announced plans to lay off 36,398 workers in May, which represents a 4.5% decline from April, and a 41% drop from the year prior, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

PMI Gauge:

The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago’s PMI gauge jumped to 58.7 in May from 49.0 the month before, whizzing by economists’ forecasts of 50. Readings above 50 point to expansion in the Midwest manufacturing sector, while those below indicate contraction.

Private Sector Jobs:

The ADP National Employment Report shows the U.S. private sector added 135,000 jobs in May.

Retail Sales:

The Commerce Department reports retail sales ticked up 0.6% in May from April, beating expectations of a 0.4% rise, while core sales, which excludes automobiles, gasoline and building materials, increased 0.3%.

Unemployment:

New claims for unemployment benefits fell to 340,000 for the week ending 17 May 13, from an upwardly-revised 363,000 the week prior. Claims were expected to fall to 345,000 from an initially-reported 360,000.

New claims for unemployment benefits fell to 346,000 for the week ending 31 May 13, from an upwardly-revised 357,000 the week prior.

New claims for unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to 334,000 for the week ending 7 June 2013. Claims were expected to fall to 345,000 from 346,000 the week prior.

U.S. Banking System

Moody’s Investors Service upped its outlook on the U.S. banking system to ‘stable’ from ‘negative.’ The ratings company’s outlook had been ‘negative’ since the financial crisis in 2008.

Stock Market was 8077.56 on 19 Jan 09 and 15,070.18 on 14 June 13.

So, let’s see, even though the 2012 GOTP presidential footnote claimed President Obama was defining what it meant to be “out of touch with reality” it appears it was he – Willard Mitt Romney – who defined it.